Aircraft Control Surface Regulating Device Using Laser Tracker

The patent introduces a laser tracker as an intermediary measurement tool that directly measures the flap position relative to the wing reference features, bypassing the traditional track-based measurement chain. This eliminates the tolerance stack-up effect because the laser tracker provides direct, high-precision measurements without relying on the cumulative tolerances of track assemblies and multiple measurement components.

The patent replaces the mechanical measurement system (dial indicators, physical contact with tracks) with an optical measurement system (laser tracker). The laser tracker uses laser beams to measure positions non-contactly, substituting mechanical contact and physical reference features with optical fields, thereby achieving higher precision without mechanical tolerance accumulation.

The patent extracts the essential measurement function from the complex assembly of multiple dial indicators and track components, isolating only the critical measurement points (three reference features on the wing and corresponding flap positions). The laser tracker system measures only these essential points directly, eliminating the need for intermediate mechanical linkages and multiple contact-based measurement devices.

The laser tracker serves multiple measurement functions simultaneously - it can measure the position of multiple flap components, verify alignment with wing reference features, and provide three-dimensional spatial relationships all with a single device. This universal measurement capability replaces the need for multiple specialized measurement tools and complex mechanical measurement assemblies.

The patent establishes a reference coordinate system and identifies reference features on the wing before performing the actual flap measurements. The laser tracker is calibrated to these pre-established references, allowing rapid subsequent measurements without requiring complex setup procedures. This preliminary establishment of measurement baselines accelerates the overall regulation process while maintaining precision.

The optical measurement system captures three-dimensional position data instantaneously through laser ranging, eliminating the time-consuming mechanical measurement process that required physical contact, manual reading of dial indicators, and calculation of positions based on track geometries. The laser tracker provides immediate digital measurements that can be processed and used for regulation decisions in real-time.